45 Degree Cutting Tool for Foam and Balsa.

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

To fill an order and get FVM on my postage I often pop an odd item into my cart at Hobbyking.

Recently I did just that with one of those 45 degree cutting tools.

Tool.

A question.

Has any one been able to make a decent bit of triangle using one of these. Even using the softest balsa I can find I can`t manage it.

Tips and suggestions greatly appreciated.

Kev

[kc]

I would expect you need to do it in several passes, by adjusting the blade up for the first cut and then lowering a bit each time.

[Chuck Plains]

KC's advice sounds logical, but I question a single tool being able to cut both materials efficiently, as foam will tear if the blade is not at a sufficiently shallow angle to the direction of movement. I discovered that after making up my own bevel cutters. But I don't do much with balsa, and still have most of a £2.50 pack I bought from my LMS.

This is my 30deg half depth cutter, which I eventually set at 25deg to the direction of the cut. The finish depth cutter is the same, just with more blade sticking out.

These were made with two pieces of 15deg glazing fillet stuck together to give me the 30deg angle and tiral and error (tearing) to get blade the cutting smoothly.

It is my intention to make an adjustable versions for 45deg and 30degree type at work. Both will have adjustable blade positions, with a shallow 25deg recess to align the blade and two small side clamps.

PS: The 30 degree cut is for an idea I had, which I will publish if it works out well or can be improved upon easily.

[Dylan Reynolds LaserCraft Services]

They are ok for putting a bevel on the edge of a bit of strip, but not much else, I found it started to struggle with sheet starting at 2.4mm, but to be honest I found it too small and fiddly to bother with anyway, so mine has been relagated to a draw somewhere

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

Mine to has been consigned to the draw full of useless stuff!!

Still looking for a decent way to make triangle 1/4 stock.

Kev

[kc]

I reckon the easiest way to make triangular stock is the wasteful way --plane an angle along the edge off a sheet (full sheet so you have something to hold) and then slice off the edge. It only makes half a much triangle as bandsawing at 45 degrees but better quality.

However if you need to make tapered stuff such as the usual 3/8 strip tapered to 1/4 to make a TE it is possible to use a SLEC strip cutter with an angled baseboard. Mine has a normal flat board and also an adjustable angled baseboard on the other side adjustable by a few wedges. ( the cutter goes along the right side for 90 degrees and can also be run along the left side of the channel for the angled cut. ) Cuts are done by several light cuts. Again you need a full sheet so there is something to hold.

[PatMc]

I use a bandsaw to cut triangular. The surface finish never really needs to be perfectly smooth as the wood's invariably being used as a long gusset & hidden from view.
Normaly I cut 4 pieces at a time from a sheet of 1/4", 3/8"or 1/2" & save what's not used for another day. My method is to set the table to 45°, cut a strip from opposite sides of a sheet, leaving two beveled edges. Then return the table to 90° & cut the two beveled ends off.

PS if I only need short lengths I use whatever suitable scrap sheet is handy or sometimes wood from a cheap "bargain bundle".

Edited By PatMc on 04/01/2015 21:11:42